U.S. Pat. No. 3,562,968 to Johnson et al. discloses a surface treating tool providing for easy installation of the surface treating article. The surface treating article has adhered thereto a drive button that engages a complementary cylindrical opening in a drive assembly comprising a back-up pad which is driven by a driving means. The adhesively-bonded drive button provides for quick and easy attachment and removal of surface treating elements without special mounting tools.
Surface conditioning discs having a threaded male button bonded to the back side of the disc by an adhesive are available commercially as Roloc.TM. surface conditioning discs from Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn. These surface conditioning discs have on the front side a conformable, three-dimensional non-woven open web material formed of synthetic fibers and abrasive particles. This web is needle tacked to an open weave scrim backing. U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,453 to Legacy et al. describes abrasive articles which comprise a lofty non-woven web needle tacked to a woven backing and impregnated with resin and abrasive.
Various methods and apparatus for spin welding articles are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,851,357, "Fastener," (Ribich et al.) discloses a fastening structure and method of making same which comprises a fastener member having a base element and a plurality of hooking elements projecting from one surface of the base element. The fastening structure also comprises a snap fastening member having a base member and a holding means protruding centrally from one side of the base member for attaching the snap fastening member to a mounting plate. The fastening member and snap fastening member are secured together in a melt-bonded relationship. In the preferred embodiment of Ribich et al., the hook-type hooking elements and base element of the fastening member are molded of a thermoplastic material as an integral unit. Ribich et al. states that alternatively, the fastening tape member may comprise a woven or knitted thermoplastic material such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,717,437, "Velvet Type Fabric and Method of Producing Same," (De Mestral) or in U.S. Pat. No. 3,539,436, "Knitted Product Having a Material-Engaging Surface," (Hamano).
Although the commercial success of available surface treating articles which include a drive button as described above has been impressive, it is desirable to provide an economical button attachment process which is faster and eliminates the need for a separate adhesive.